Killarney and District Motor Club member Darragh Lynch has made his debut in the Australian Tarmac Rally Championship, competing in the Great Tarmac Rally alongside driver Brian O’Neill.
The event, based in Marysville, Victoria State, was a challenging two-day rally with 14 stages totalling 260 competitive stage kilometres. Despite a promising start, mechanical issues forced Lynch and O’Neill to retire from the rally.
On the first day, the crew was lying 15th overall after four stages before encountering brake problems on stage six. While they managed to address the issue further brake problems on stage 11 of the second day forced them to retire.
Lynch, who recently moved to Australia, has become actively involved in the rallying scene there but this was his first time competing in the Australian Tarmac Rally Championship.
Kerry Motor Club co-driver Keith McCarthy guided Neil Phelan to second in the modified class and sixth overall in Escort Rally Special in Momignies in Belgium.
This was McCarthy’s second attempt at the rally having guided Hazlel O’Callaghan to 13th overall last season.
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